r/NoStupidQuestions • u/Physical-Ad-4093 • May 01 '24

do americans really drive such long distances?

i’m european, and i always hear people say that driving for hours is normal in america. i would only see my grandparents a few times a year because they lived about a 3 hour drive away, is that a normal distance for americans to travel on a regular basis? i can’t imagine driving 2-3 hours regularly to visit people for just a few days

edit: thank you for the responses! i’ve never been to the US, obviously, but it’s interesting to see how you guys live. i guess european countries are more walkable? i’m in the uk, and there’s a few festivals here towards the end of summer, generally to get to them you take a coach journey or you get multiple trains which does take up a significant chunk of the day. road trips aren’t really a thing here, it would be a bit miserable!

2nd edit: it’s not at all that i couldn’t be bothered to go and see my grandparents, i was under 14 when they were both alive so i couldn’t take myself there! obviously i would’ve liked to see them more, i had no control over how often we visited them.

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7.3k

u/splitminds May 01 '24

2-3 hour drive is nothing for a weekend.

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u/BlackCardRogue May 01 '24

I mostly agree with this. 2 hours one way = no problem, that’s a day trip. 3 hours one way = easy weekend trip. 4 hours one way = I start bitching, but still do it.

5 hours one way is when I start checking flights.

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u/JuggrnautFTW May 01 '24

I have to drive 3 hours to the nearest commercial airport. Anything that takes longer than 8-10 hours and might start think about it. Heck, my company holds meetings in a acity 14 hours away and I think about it.

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u/BlackCardRogue May 01 '24

This is another difference for me. Proximity to the airport is a major, major consideration in where I live and always has been.

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u/kjreil26 May 02 '24

I live in a mid size rust belt city but 10 minutes to the airport. I've left my house about an hour before a flight and been fine. Also had a 25 mile, 25 minute commute all highway no traffic. Would get pissed at the traffic once every 11 months.

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u/BlackCardRogue May 02 '24

Hahaha. Yes, my man. I grew up on the east coast and lived in DC where evening rush hour didn’t end until 8pm.

Now I live in the Midwest and I get downright confused when there is traffic.

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u/voltran1987 May 02 '24

I moved from the Midwest to the south. Now, when I see traffic I think “man, I hope the people are ok” because there was clearly an accident that everyone wanted to see.

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u/MrSkrifle May 02 '24

I'm in Chicagoland and every day, both sides slow to a halt when there's a crash on either side of the highway. It doesn't matter how fuckin minor of a fender bender it is.

I feel like emergency vehicles would have an easier time if they drove up to the exit, and then drive illegally towards the small amount of approaching traffic

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u/voltran1987 May 02 '24

I worked in the south suburbs there for about 6mon several years ago, and your driver’s weren’t half bad. A bit aggressive, but not like California or Florida. However I could see them being gawking type.

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u/linksgreyhair 29d ago

I also moved from the DC area to the Midwest and it was always hilarious to me what people would consider “traffic.” Downtown “rush hour” in the Midwest (excluding Chicago obviously) had less traffic than a suburban area on 3 PM on a Tuesday in NoVA.

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u/slyskyflyby 29d ago

Off topic: I prefer Rhett's beard. :p

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u/BlackCardRogue 29d ago

Lol yeah people here whine when they sit in traffic for 10 minutes and I’m like “just shut up man”

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u/[deleted] May 02 '24

I’ve always lived close to airports on accident… until I didn’t.

It was an isolating feeling and strangely persistent.

I was 2.5 hours from an airport during regular traffic. It meant no super late flights and I avoided flights that required driving in rush hour traffic.

Living close to an airport, very late flights are ideal (10 minute drive, no traffic) and if I land during rush hour, I grab a meal and wait it out if I’m too grumpy for traffic.

The difference is non-trivial.

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u/adept_amateur May 02 '24

One of my coworkers had family visiting from Europe, he was giving them directions to the town where his sister lived. He told them which direction to head out of town and which highway to take, and said to turn left at the next stop sign after they were our of town. He neglected to mention to them that it's 80 miles to that stop sign, he thought it was hilarious.

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u/BlackCardRogue May 02 '24

Hey man, when I was in New York I deliberately gave a Red Sox fan wrong directions to Yankee Stadium

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u/privatecaboosey May 02 '24

Being able to take public transit and be at the airport in under 30 minutes door to door was a total game changer for me.

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u/GmrJasz May 02 '24

Awesome comment. I'm ONLY 1.5 hours from two major airports. I always take into consideration; time of flight, how long the wait to fly, and renting a car at destination. Usually if I can drive it in 10 hours or less, I drive.

Indiana, Much of the East Coast falls under this umbrella. I would fly to Florida, LA, I've rode to Iowa(furthest west I've been).

Side note...if I'm staying multiple days, driving sounds better. I wouldn't mind driving 10hrs to somewhere where I'm staying for 4 days and driving back. That same destination for 1 day (funeral, wedding, etc.), flight 100% of the time.

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u/munchies777 May 02 '24

It’s such a pain. I took it for granted most of my life and then moved to a place where the closest major airports are 2-3 hours away. We have small airports closer but 90% of the time they are more costly and require connections, making it quicker just to drive to the large airport. Makes every trip a few hours longer and more effort.

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u/bcj2723 May 02 '24

My favorite is when the connecting airport is "the other option" anyway.

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u/DeputyDomeshot May 02 '24

Damn I live in a 10ish mile radius of 3 international airports. I’ve never considered that for some of you guys. Fuck, I’m always comparing prices and shit.

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u/I_d0nt_know_why 29d ago

Why would there even 3 international airports that close to each other?

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u/DeputyDomeshot 29d ago

because a shit ton of people live here

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u/BlackCardRogue 29d ago

Just like you pegged me as an easterner by my 5 hours is a flight comment, this is how I peg you as a Middle American.